Taipei Lantern Festival & Pingxi Sky Lanterns: The Complete Guide
The Taipei Lantern Festival, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, and daily lantern releases at Shifen are three separate events that confuse even experienced Taiwan travelers. This guide breaks down the differences, dates, logistics, and crowd realities so you can plan the right experience for your trip.
TL;DR
- There are three distinct events: the Taipei City Lantern Festival, the national Taiwan Lantern Festival, and the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in New Taipei City. Do not confuse them.
- The Taipei Lantern Festival runs for roughly two weeks around the Lunar New Year period, centered near Ximen and Beimen. See our Beimen area guide for what else to explore nearby.
- The official Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is free to attend, but takes place only on specific evenings around the 15th day of the first lunar month. Year-round lantern launches in Shifen are a paid, privately run tourist activity.
- Pingxi is not in Taipei. It is part of New Taipei City and takes about 1.5 to 2 hours from central Taipei by train.
- Dates shift every year with the lunar calendar, usually landing in late January or February. Always verify the current year's schedule on official city tourism sites before booking. Check the best time to visit Taipei for broader seasonal context.
Three Events, One Common Confusion
Most travelers searching for the Taipei Lantern Festival end up conflating at least two separate events, and some conflate all three. This confusion is understandable because they happen at roughly the same time of year and share imagery of glowing lanterns. But they have different organizers, different venues, different scales, and entirely different logistics.
- Taipei Lantern Festival Organized by Taipei City Government. A large street and light installation festival held across central Taipei, typically near Ximen, Beimen (North Gate), and Zhonghua Road Section 1. In 2025 it ran February 2–16, with illuminated displays lighting up from 17:00 to 22:00 daily and main lantern light shows every 30 minutes.
- Taiwan Lantern Festival The national-level event organized by the central government, which rotates between cities each year. In 2025 it was held in Taoyuan, not Taipei. If you are searching for this event, you may need to travel well outside Taipei.
- Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival Organized by New Taipei City Government Tourism Bureau. Held in Pingxi District, with main release events at specific venues including Pingxi Junior High School and Shifen Sky Lantern Square. In 2025, release events were held on February 8 and February 12. Admission to the official festival area is free.
⚠️ What to skip
Pingxi is not in Taipei City. It is a mountain district of New Taipei City, and it takes 1.5 to 2 hours to reach from central Taipei by train via the Pingxi Branch Line. Plan your day accordingly and do not assume it is a short metro ride away.
The Taipei City Lantern Festival: What to Expect
The Taipei Lantern Festival transforms a stretch of central Taipei into an outdoor installation space, with large sculptural lanterns, themed light displays, and crowds that can be significant on weekends and the final days. The area around Beimen (North Gate) and Ximending becomes the main hub, making it easy to fold into an existing central Taipei itinerary.
The festival is free to attend. Light-up times in 2025 were 17:00 to 22:00, with the main lantern performances running every 30 minutes in the evening. Arriving just before the first show at 17:00 is a reasonable strategy to see the displays before peak crowds arrive. By 19:00 to 20:00 on weekends, the area gets genuinely packed.
The artistic theme changes annually, so the installations you see will be different from photos taken in previous years. Check the official Travel Taipei event calendar (travel.taipei) for the current year's theme, map, and any special performances before you go.
💡 Local tip
Weeknights are noticeably less crowded than weekends. If your schedule allows, visit on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening for a more comfortable experience. The final weekend typically draws the largest crowds.
The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival: Dates, Venues, and Access
The official Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is a regulated event tied to the 15th day of the first lunar month, which is the traditional Lantern Festival (Yuan Xiao Jie). The date moves each year: in 2025 it fell in early to mid-February. Organized release events are held at designated venues, typically Jingtong Elementary School, Pingxi Junior High School, and Shifen Sky Lantern Square, with the specific schedule varying by year.
Official festival hours are generally 18:00 to 21:00 during the event period. Admission to the designated festival area is free. Getting there requires taking a train from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang, then transferring to the narrow-gauge Pingxi Branch Line toward Pingxi Old Street or Shifen. Total journey time from central Taipei is 1.5 to 2 hours each way.
On festival nights, special train services are added to handle the surge in visitors. Trains can be extremely crowded both arriving and departing, particularly after the lantern releases end and everyone tries to leave simultaneously. If you are comfortable with tight spaces and long waits, this is manageable. If not, consider a private tour or organized day trip that handles the logistics, including reserved seating.
✨ Pro tip
Book return trains or arrange your transport back to Taipei before heading out. After major release events end around 21:00, the platform at Shifen and Pingxi stations becomes extremely congested. Having a plan avoids a 90-minute wait on a freezing platform in February.
Year-Round Sky Lantern Launches at Shifen: The Tourist Activity
Outside the official festival dates, visitors can launch sky lanterns year-round at Shifen as a paid private activity. Local shops along Shifen Old Street sell pre-painted lanterns and help you light and release them, usually over or near the railway tracks that run through the center of the village. This is a separate commercial operation, entirely distinct from the official festival.
Prices vary by vendor and package. Lanterns come in different sizes and colors, with each color traditionally representing a different wish or aspiration. The vendors explain the customs and assist with the release. Launches can happen throughout the day, not just in the evening, making this a flexible activity to slot into a broader Pingxi day trip.
One important note: commercial launches are subject to weather conditions and local safety restrictions. Rain, strong wind, or temporary fire-risk alerts can result in closures on the day. Check conditions locally before making a long journey specifically for this activity.
- Shifen is the most popular spot for year-round launches, but Pingxi Old Street also has vendors and slightly smaller crowds
- The famous image of hundreds of lanterns filling the sky is almost exclusively associated with the official festival nights, not daily commercial launches
- If dramatic, sky-filled photos are your goal, the official festival dates are essential. A typical daily launch involves a handful of lanterns, not hundreds
- Combine a Shifen lantern launch with a short walk to Shifen Waterfall, one of Taiwan's wider waterfalls, to make the day trip worthwhile
Planning Your Visit: Logistics and Practical Details
Both events fall during Taiwan's Lunar New Year holiday period, which is one of the busiest travel seasons in the country. Trains, accommodation, and transport book up weeks in advance. If you are planning a trip around these events, consult the 3-day Taipei itinerary and the where to stay in Taipei guide to understand neighborhood options and book accommodation early.
Getting around Taipei during the lantern festival period is straightforward on the MRT. The Taipei City Lantern Festival venues near Ximen and Beimen are a short walk from Ximen MRT Station (Red and Blue Lines) and from Beimen station. For Pingxi, you need Taipei Main Station to start your journey toward Ruifang on the Taiwan Railways (TRA) network, not the MRT.
Weather in February in Taipei can be cool and damp. Temperatures typically range from 12°C to 18°C, and rain is common. Layers and a compact rain jacket are practical. For more on what February and early spring are like in the city, see the Taipei in spring guide.
ℹ️ Good to know
Lunar New Year dates shift annually, which means the Lantern Festival (15 days after Lunar New Year's Day) can fall anywhere from late January to late February. Always confirm the current year's dates on the official Taipei Lantern Festival site (travel.taipei) and the New Taipei City Tourism Bureau site before booking flights or accommodation around these events.
What to Do Around the Festivals: Extending Your Time
The Lunar New Year period in Taipei is worth treating as more than just a lantern event trip. The city has significant cultural activity during this time, with temples hosting special ceremonies and traditional markets operating. Longshan Temple in Wanhua draws large crowds for new year prayers, and the historic Dihua Street in Dadaocheng hosts its annual New Year market with traditional goods, dried foods, and decorations.
If you are spending several days in Taipei around the festival, the surrounding mountains offer a counterpoint to the crowds. Yangmingshan National Park is particularly beautiful in late January and February when calla lilies and early cherry blossoms begin to appear. It is also less affected by the festival crowds than central Taipei.
For a full picture of what the city offers beyond the festival, the complete things to do in Taipei guide covers the city's top experiences across all seasons. Many major attractions including Taipei 101 and the National Palace Museum operate normally during the lantern festival period, making it easy to combine festival visits with regular sightseeing.
FAQ
What is the difference between the Taipei Lantern Festival and the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival?
These are two separate events organized by different city governments. The Taipei Lantern Festival is organized by Taipei City Government and features large light installations near Ximen and Beimen in central Taipei. The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is organized by New Taipei City Government and takes place in Pingxi District, about 1.5 to 2 hours from central Taipei by train. They typically occur around the same time each year but are entirely independent events.
Can I release a sky lantern in Pingxi outside of the festival dates?
Yes. Local shops in Shifen and Pingxi Old Street offer year-round paid sky lantern launches as a tourist activity. This is a commercial operation run by private vendors, not a government-organized event. Prices and availability vary by vendor. Note that this daily activity produces only a few lanterns at a time, not the spectacular mass releases seen during the official festival.
Is the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival free?
Admission to the official festival area is free. However, if you want to personally release a lantern during the festival, you typically purchase a lantern from an official vendor at the venue. Outside the official festival, daily lantern launches from private shops are a paid activity.
How do I get from Taipei to Pingxi for the Sky Lantern Festival?
Take the Taiwan Railways (TRA) from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang, then transfer to the Pingxi Branch Line toward Shifen or Pingxi station. The total journey takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. On festival nights, special additional train services run but platforms and carriages become very crowded after release events end. Many visitors opt for organized day tours to avoid the train logistics, especially on major festival evenings.
When exactly is the Taipei Lantern Festival in 2026?
The exact dates depend on the lunar calendar and are announced by Taipei City Government ahead of each year's event. The festival typically runs for about two weeks around the Lantern Festival (the 15th day of the first lunar month), which usually falls in late January or February. Check the official Travel Taipei website (travel.taipei) for confirmed dates once they are announced.